BIDDEFORD — A public hearing on Biddeford’s proposed municipal and school budgets for the fiscal year that begins July 1 takes place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24.

As currently proposed, the municipal budget would add 49 cents to the mil rate, and the school budget, 24 cents.

At present, Biddeford’s mil rate is $18.23 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Thursday’s public hearing is the first of two — the next is tentatively set for May 3 and is among a series of ongoing public budget-related meetings. At present the city’s Budget Committee is reviewing the proposal, which continues through April 14. The first reading is penciled in for May 10, with the final reading on May 12. The school budget validation vote is June 14.

The submitted 2023 municipal budget, as described by City Manager James Bennett at the March 1 City Council meeting, “looks to transform operations to meet new citizen expectations while maintaining core services and expectations — and being frugal in the process,” said Communications Coordinator Danica Lamontagne.

In all, the proposed municipal budget including projected county tax, the operating budget, debt service and capital projects is $39 million, up from $35.8 million this year — but when projected revenues are applied, including about $4.3 million from state revenue sharing, $9.1 million from other non-property tax revenue and about $520,000 from surplus, the budget is $25 million, up about $1.6 million from the current year.

Among the highlights of the proposed municipal budget is the addition of a safety employee, which Bennett expects will result in savings in Worker’s Compensation within about two years; a staff engineering position; deputy recreation director, and one-time costs associated with firefighter paramedic training.

A flexible 28-hour position in the current year budget went unfilled, so Bennett said he recruited for a full-time position in the City Clerk’s Office for the coming year. Bennett said a new communications employee was added to the proposed budget, and he proposes the current communications coordinator become an assistant to the city manager with a $10,000 increase in compensation.

The staff engineering position comes as Tom Milligan retires as city engineer. Deputy Engineer Craig Chekan will assume the city engineer position, leaving a vacancy for a staff engineer position. Milligan is expected to stay on for a period of time at 30 hours a week.

Bennett said a full-time deputy recreation director is proposed to be hired, with 50 percent of the cost eventually paid through programming.

He noted the police department budget includes the full cost of the Opioid Outreach program. The program has been shared, but Saco did not contribute in the current year, Bennett said in a memo to the City Council.

He said the city’s personnel committee changed the way non-union wages are being addressed and the proposal reflects a recommended 4.5 percent cost of living increase — though he said the full figure is not guaranteed — the adjustment is subject to performance. Also, he said about 2.25 percent is earmarked for merit increases.

The $1.6 million increase in personnel costs and benefits includes a two-year difference because of union contracts, he noted.

Fuel prices are expected to increase significantly — the contract for locked-in prices of $1.40 for gas and $1.70 for diesel is expiring.

Bennett is recommending an increase of $250,000 in capital outlay.

The city manager pointed out revenue sharing is at the full 5 percent, a $1.2 million increase — and he is expecting a $100,000 increase in excise taxes.

He said he expects changes in property valuations.

According to documents presented to Biddeford School Committee during an overview of the proposed school budget March 9, the total local school allocation — which includes an $18.7 million local base, $2.4 million in debt service and $2.1 million in additional local funds — totals about $23.3 million after subtracting revenues that include state subsidies. It is up from $22.7 million in the current year. The overall school budget, including state subsidies, is $41.4 million, up $1.3 million from the current year.

School Superintendent Jeremy Ray pointed out that Biddeford’s increase in state valuation — about 7 percent this year, 2 percent more than the state average, plays a role in the proposed budget and that is expected to be more significant as the years go on. For the coming fiscal year, K-12 and Biddeford Regional Center of Technology together will receive $245,000 less in state subsidy than they did for the current year, based on valuation and student counts.

Ray said the school department is projecting a 10 percent increase in health insurance premiums as well as a projected 10 to 15 percent increase in utility costs. The school department proposes to use federal COVID funding, called ESSER, to pay for an English teacher, social worker, and nursing assistant, and also to help pay for some building improvements. At the same time, two elementary positions will be removed from federal to local funding, an unfilled ed tech position has been removed, and there will be one less science teacher position.

The March 24 hearing will be held in a hybrid format with options to participate in person in the City Hall Council Chambers and online through Zoom.

“The schedule for budget meetings allows for the public to speak to the Council on the proposed City and School budgets after all budget requests have been presented but before deliberations begin,” said Mayor Alan Casavant. “The Council will then consider your feedback as we move into the next stage of the budget process where funding decisions are made.”

To review presentations and information about the budgets, and to access the meeting online, go to: https://www.biddefordmaine.org/FY23Budget.

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